Give the world service with a smile. This week’s full moon lights up the sign of Virgo, the grounded helper/healer of the zodiac. Like a sacred earth goddess, this full moon brings us back to our nature-loving origins and reminds us of the power of being generous for generosity’s sake. Giving selflessly is more restorative than a week at the spa. It connects us to the power of pure, true, universal love. Whether we’re helping a friend in need or volunteering at a nonprofit, this full moon will beam its light where our gifts are needed.

You might’ve heard rumors that Virgo energy is boring. Guess again. Ruled by speedy, communicative Mercury, our intellectual curiosity is stimulated under this lunar spell. There’s no better week to research, gather data and visual inspiration, or get to work on a DIY upcycling project.

This year, Jupiter is also in Virgo — and retrograde — so this full moon may reignite some of our grander goals or inspire us to take a bold risk on a project we back-burnered when Jupiter began its reverse commute on January 7.

Want to host a full moon ritual? Here are some tips for manifesting at new and full moons. And below, a few ways to use the Virgo full moon to your advantage:

A few possibilities: either you’re not feeling excited about it, you don’t know where to start, or you need to ask for help. Go down the checklist item by item and see. Write down the ONE thing that keeps stopping you from moving forward, then identify a person or resource you could turn to for help. Then, book an appointment in your own calendar to call or email that person (or heck, just pick up the phone now). Get the ball rolling again!

Chew on this: check your digestion.

Each sign is associated with a body part and Virgo rules the lower stomach and digestive system. Turning up your digestive fire can help you sleep better and help your body use food as the fuel it is intended to be. Digestion begins in the mouth, but with our go-go-go lifestyles, many of us inhale our food instead of mindfully chewing it.

Use those molars and incisors: they are there for a purpose. This week, try chomping each bite twenty times before you swallow. Your lunch breaks might take a little bit longer, but, hey, it’s a bonus meditative moment that will make you more productive when you return to your desk.

Another trick for helping with digestion? Lie on your left side, which compresses the C-shaped tummy and facilitates a self-massage. The advanced ritualists might even try going raw this week or doing a juice cleanse (or a soup cleanse, if the weather is still cold in your area).

The Virgo full moon loves everything pure and earthy. Bring that to your plate and see how alive you feel. Read up on food combining principles or add more fresh juice to your daily regimen. Read up on gut health, too. The key during the Virgo full moon is to repeat the chosen practice daily, so you can really intensify its impact.

Systematize and simplify.

Virgo is an efficiency expert, and loves structure, systems, and a sense of order. Where do we need to whip our lives into shape? Expect a megadose of motivation to come with this full moon. It’s not just about tucking stuff away in junk drawers, but rather, cleaning house, simplifying, and ridding ourselves of excess.

The zodiac’s Virgin likes things pure, simple and sweet. It’s the perfect opportunity to shrink our carbon footprints. We can apply the de-junking approach to body care, too. The full moon in Virgo brings healthy living into the spotlight and encourages us to devise an empowering eating and exercise routine.

Start your to-do lists with a dream or desire.

Martin Luther King, Jr. (a Capricorn) said that “faith is taking the first step even when you can’t see the whole staircase.” That’s a beautiful sentiment — as long as you have an idea where those invisible stairs are leading. This year, the analytical Virgo full moon is opposite four planets in Pisces, which are activating our subconscious and spiritual sides. Unite your logical left brain and your creative right brain.

Lists may sound dreary to most signs, but when you’re rooted in a greater vision, they’re simply the road map that will get you to your ultimate destination. Books and tools like Danielle LaPorte’s The Desire Map help you create goals with soul, to work backward from how you want to feel in your highest state, then to set intentions based on that. Once you’re steeped in that visionary vibe, doing the groundwork feels light and even exciting … because you know the universe is truly on your side.

Check your produce labels.

The devil is in the details, and Virgo, the sign of health, knows that well. How can you bring more mindfulness to your nutritional habits? Know your codes — fruit or vegetable sticker PLU codes, that is — and how to check whether the item is organic, conventionally grown or (eek!) genetically modified. Remember this: a five-digit code starting with 9 on your banana, bell pepper, etc. means it was grown organically. If it starts with a 4, it was conventionally grown, and an 8 means GMO. Dr. Frank Lipman explains the whole system simply here. The Virgo full moon reminds us: you are what you eat!

Use a new word every day.

Ruled by Mercury, the planet of communication and intellect, brainiac Virgo flexes some serious vocab skills. Why say “good” when you can say “superlative,” “unrivaled,” or “magnificent?” This full moon is blessing us all with the gift of gab this week, so take the challenge and wax poetic.

Adopt a new word per day and use it as often as you can. You might even get your friends in on the fun. Imagine the nerdy laughs as you all find ways to weave “prescient” or “sartorial” into a sentence. Seriously. And if you’re already gifted with word power, host a Scrabble night near the full moon and let the good times roll.

Declutter creatively.

Waste not, want not: that’s one of Virgo’s favorite expressions. As we mentioned earlier, it’s a great week for cleaning out those closets and donating to a meaningful charity or friends in need. But before you toss everything in the Hefty bags, stop and think: could this be used in a different way?

Our crafty crew of friends are masters of the upcycle. We’ve seen adorable baby cowboy boots used as a flowerpot (bonus points from this earthy full moon for planting something), a bike wheel turned into a wall clock, and a denim skirt made out of jeans with a ripped inseam. These projects don’t have to take hours on end.

All it takes is a creative sweep of your environment. For ideas: check out theupcycleblog.com and readymade.com. Another great project? Making your own, eco-friendly cleaning products using ingredients like white vinegar, lemon, and baking powder. (Here are some recipes for a fresh and nature-friendly home.)

Mercury in Retrograde
How to survive three weeks of communication and technology breakdowns without having a nervous breakdown. Ever have a week when nobody understands you? Your cell phone erases itself, people argue over nonsense, traffic sucks, and your computer crashes as you’re typing the last sentence of your Great American Novel. Flights are delayed or cancelled, or you forget your passport at home on the way to Mexico. Plans change without warning and your friends stand you up. Even if you’re already a drama queen, this is just BEYOND.

Chances are, you’re smack in the middle of Mercury retrograde.

What IS Mercury retrograde, really?

Three or four times a year, Mercury passes the earth in its orbit. As it rounds the bend, Mercury slows down and appears to stop (station) and spin backward (retrograde). Of course, it really ISN’T moving backward, but much like two trains or cars passing each other, this creates the optical illusion that one (Mercury, in this case) is going backward.

In astrology, Mercury rules communication, travel, and technology—so all of these areas go haywire for about three weeks.

So how not to have a nervous breakdown? Don’t start anything new. Review all your contracts before you sign. Renew your commitments, rather than making new ones. Prepare to repeat yourself often. It’s like learning a new dance. Or something.

Note to all 21st-century dwellers: Mercury retrograde can crash electronic equipment. Back up your computer, calendar and cell phone address book. Expect delays if traveling, and pack a book to entertain yourself while you wait for the tardy bus or plane. Get in touch with old friends – and don’t be surprised if people from your past track you down. You might hear from the most RANDOM ex-boyfriends and childhood classmates during retrogrades. Mercury also rules contracts, so think before you ink. Either wrap up important negotiations before the cycle starts, or wait to sign documents until Mercury goes direct.

If you were born during a Mercury retrograde (which we were), you may actually become sharper, clearer or more productive during this time. You won’t be immune to Mercury’s global impact (we once had a hard drive systematically erase itself before our eyes during Mercury retrograde), but you could also thrive in areas where others are flailing (almost every big writing contract and book deal we’ve gotten was offered during Mercury retrograde). You might even become more psychic or dialed-in during Mercury’s backspin. How do you find out if you were born during Mercury retrograde? Do a free chart on this cool site and you can find out instantly.

Mercury retrograde do’s and don’ts.

DO…

Review all contracts and legal documents before signing.

Pause and breathe before speaking. (Repeat yourself if necessary!)

Read all emails and documents before you send.

Insure/track important mail and packages (Mercury rules the postal system).

The silver lining? Mercury retrograde is a great opportunity to handle unfinished business. Most of us start a million things that we don’t complete, never realizing how much psychic clutter this creates. The retrograde is like a quarterly review, a chance to tie up those loose ends and create a clear vision for the future. Take advantage of it, and you’ll emerge fresh and ready when Mercury goes direct. As the cliche goes, what you resist persists. So the more you can embrace chaos or a lack of control (and isn’t control an illusion, anyhow?), the better you’ll survive this cycle.

As we enter the final stretch of 2016, you may be sensing an energetic shift. December is an important month because it sets the stage for the next year. Use this time to reflect on your goals and focus forward with clarity.

Do you feel weighed down by specific people or situations? Use this time to consciously create a stronger foundation for your life, which means walking away from things that drag you down.

This is an ideal time of year to release old thought patterns, fears, relationships, situations and things that no longer serve you. It shifts you into the closing down of the previous year and prepares you for the one ahead.

Rather than spending time focusing on what isn’t working, pull all of your energy into what is going well and focus on what you want. Use deliberate action toward those goals and you’ll see changes happen quickly.

In the spirit of preparing for the New Near and releasing what no longer serves you, here are 10 things to let go of before 2015.

Let go of thinking you aren’t where you’re supposed to be.

Everything you’ve done has helped you become who you’re meant to be.

Release all thought patterns holding you back.

It’s time to start telling yourself a more positive story.

Release the idea that your challenges are long-term.

All setbacks are only temporary, but the lessons learned are forever.

Let go of the need to have it all figured out.

What doesn’t make sense yet will someday.

Let go of the idea that things aren’t working out for you.

Everything is really much better than you can imagine.

Stop asking “WHY” this is happening to you.

Instead ask what you can learn from the situation.

Release the need to control the outcome.

You may not get what you want when you want, but trust you will always get what you need when you need it.

Stop believing you are your mistakes.

There are no mistakes, only growth.

Release the need to be right.

Proving others wrong does not make you right. Instead, focus inward and align with love. When you are confident in your own choices, you don’t have to prove anything.

Let go of thinking it’s too late for you.

Your dreams matter and they come to you for a reason. Follow your heart, and you will be free.

Photographer Bryan Silverman is pure authenticity! He exudes love, and is a man of spirituality, simplicity, and grace, who has a passion for making photographs.

In his spare time, he enjoys cooking, meditating, spending time with his family, his soulmate, his pets, going to the beach, snorkeling, boating, traveling on road trips, and savoring life.

Bryan combines his background as an adventurer, creating modern lifestyle portraits of people, animals, and nature sceneries, to include unique sunrises, sunsets, and sea life. One day he sent one of his sunrise masterpieces to the local news, and they gladly aired it on the morning news.

Now his clients include add agencies, non-profit organizations, actresses, models, events, and such.

Based in Boynton Beach, Florida, Bryan and his team are ready to create outstanding visuals for you. Bryan has a style consisting of such colorful and energetic imagery. He runs a client-friendly, service-oriented business.

It is so refreshing and heartwarming to one’s soul to pass along to others that which one has learned. Life experience of connection to spirit, remarkable teachers, intuitive knowledge of what “works” and what does not are some of the ways I have learned to integrate the energy from beyond our physical realm into giving and receiving “Messages from the heart of soul.” I have used these tools to give” inspired” (from soul) lectures on topics such as developing one’s intuition, replenishing one’s spirit, and the “how to” of tools for conversion.

During public speaking events, I have come to understand how powerful and sometimes life changing these messages of love, of hope, and of comfort can be those receiving these gifts.

My own life has been transformed by this astonishing connection to spirit and I therefore I have humbly accepted the role of passing these messages along to others and it has truly been an enriching experience.

As an Ordained Interfaith Minister it is my delight to perform ceremonies that are heart created, momentous, and significant to those coming together in union with each other. After meeting and speaking with the couple it is then my pleasure to ensure that each ceremony lovingly expresses the quintessence of their love for each other. It is my desire to create a service that has the comforts and well being of the participants as the heart of the ceremony, and one that will have their friends and family forever grateful to have witnessed.

I became an Ordained Minister to complete where my dad left off on becoming a minister before he departed this earth.I know he’s in heaven smiling down on me.

Also, there has been a response to the growing need for non-religious and interfaith personalized wedding ceremonies, baby welcoming ceremonies, and memorials to accommodate the growing number of people who still want to celebrate life’s rites of passage with special ceremonies without having to strictly adhere to a particular faith’s doctrines. I will honor your beliefs, whether you follow a certain religious tradition, consider yourself more spiritual than religious, or if you are an atheist.

No matter what religious or cultural background you have, I will work with you to design a ceremony that celebrates your union (or your baby’s arrival) while creating connections among your family and friends without having to sacrifice your own needs and preferences.